In Perfect Silence
by BellatrixLestrangey
Summary: Azula and Sokka escape the festival crowd to enjoy a quieter more peaceful view of the fireworks.


She kissed him that night with a sparkler in her hand and a swam of fireflies lifting from the grass. On the night of the dragon with her kimono fluttering in the summer breeze.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she gazed upon the festival lights. A bunch of paper lanterns were being hoisted into the air, bobbing there like warmly colored jellyfish in a sea of stars. That was always Azula's favorite part of the festival. Seeing the paper lanterns drifting on balloons towards the sky as festival goers sent candles floating down the river. And then they'd reveal the large dragon lantern—the very same one she'd seen since she was a child—and fireworks would burst behind it dazzling the sky with hot and colorful showers and glittering tails.

She led Sokka away from the bustle of the food stands and festival games. Away to somewhere quieter. Somewhere where the view was unbelievably stunning. A place Azula had discovered so long ago. It was a quiet beachside hideaway nestled far from the harbor and near the base of a cliff. It had a surprisingly perfect view of the fireworks and more often than not, the candles would wash up or drift down to its shores. And if she waited long enough, she could always count on seeing the paper lanterns drift down onto the sand right before her eyes. She had a growing collection of the intact lanterns she harvested as keepsakes. She took Sokka's hand and silently lead him to her hidden beach. She shoved away a tuft of long rustling beach grass and lead him into what at first seemed like a cave dug into the cliff by the ocean. What she came to show him was merely an arch that lead into a wide open space with a view of the cosmos through its cone like structure. The cliff, as Azula had discovered, was completely hollow. Down from the cone hung a tangle of vines, Azula could still see a few of the lanterns that had gotten caught in them three years ago. She watched the ocean flow in and out of the hollow. The water was only ankle deep where they stood, but Azula knew that it grew deeper as it reached the other wall of the cliff.

"It's…" He didn't finish, he couldn't find words adequate enough to describe what he was feeling.

Azula smiled, Sokka caught a glimpse of it in the moonlight that poured over her face. She pulled out one of the sparklers she had bought from one of the stalls and lit it for Sokka. It blazed a brilliant blue for a brief second before it began exhaling gold sparks. She handed it to him and lit one for herself. His faded out first. And as hers began to sputter out she pulled him in for the kiss. It went by too fast for him, but he realized that she had pulled away so she could watch those fireflies drift skyward. He followed her golden gaze, she looked unusually serene. He brushed her bangs behind her ears.

She moved away from him and let her hair down. Before he knew it her kimono was slipping down her arms and being tossed off to the side. Her body slides into the water where it runs decently deep. She still faces the sky, watching as the fireworks continue to explode. Sokka could see them reflecting in her eyes and on the mostly still water. She motioned for him to join her in the water so he discarded his clothes and the shoreline and swam over to her. She still didn't talk but he almost didn't want her to—words would ruin the moment. Instead she took his hand and pressed her lips to his once again. He saw her eyes close as she deepened the kiss. He could see the first of the candles rushing into the hidden swimming hole. He closed his eyes too, enjoying the feeling of her body pressed comfortably against his. And neither of them wanted anything more than that. Neither wanted anything more than soft kisses and holding each other close as the water ebbed around them. When Azula opened her eyes she saw a bunch of the candles floating around them and the first of the lanterns beginning to descend. Her lips grazed over his again as more lanterns rain down. Sokka believed that she must have known that they would. It had definitely enhanced the mood. Once again Azula pulled away and cast her eyes downward to stare as a candle began to sink. Her expression is warm and inviting. A gentle smile softens her face. Sokka put his arms around her, rubbing her back. Her hands come out of the water, holding the candle that had just sunk. She offered it to him and he took it. Her hair fanned out around her body, over the water as she swam a little deeper. He watched her swim beneath the surface and then return. She was back at his side, watching as the lanterns bobbed overhead. He put his free hand on her back, between her shoulder blades. When she didn't protest he moved it down to just above her hip. They stayed that way, quietly watching the festival reach its peak. Fireworks mingling with the lanterns, raining sparks around them.

She takes his hand.


End file.
